1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a V-type engine having a pair of cylinder banks set at an angle to form a V.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59(1984)-565 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,120), there has been known a V-type engine structure in which the intake ports for the cylinders in both cylinder banks are formed on the inner side of the respective cylinder banks so that the intake ports in each cylinder bank are directed toward the other cylinder bank, and the intake system connected to the intake ports is disposed in the space between the cylinder banks, thereby making compact the structure of the engine.
On the other hand, an engine must be provided with auxiliary mechanisms such as an alternator, an oil pump for a power steering system, a compressor for an air-conditioner and the like, and such auxiliary mechanisms must be compactly arranged. This is especially difficult when the intake system includes relatively long intake passages and a surge tank in order to obtain the kinetic effect of the intake air.
When the V-type engine is to be laterally mounted relative to the vehicle body, limitations on the arrangement of auxiliary mechanisms change from those when the engine is to be longitudinally mounted due to the limited space in the engine compartment, and it becomes difficult to dispose the auxiliary mechanisms in the same positions Further, arrangement of the auxiliary mechanisms can cause problems with respect to the engine mounting and make it difficult to carry out various operations on the engine, e.g., maintenance of the auxiliary mechanisms and tension adjustment of auxiliary mechanism driving belts.
The present state of the art is disclosed also in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62(1987)-91621 (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 914,662).